Beach Reads Blog Tour 2015 Day 11 #BeachBooks @june_kearns

It’s Day 11 of our wonderful book tour holiday, pull up a deck chair and feel the sand between your toes.

Today my guest is June Kearns.

Beach Reads Blog Tour

My ideal holiday spot for relaxing and reading? Cromarty. (From the shipping forecast? Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne and Dogger.) The tiny historic town at the tip of the Black Isle, way up in the north of Scotland has warm seas (Gulf Stream), seals, kites and bottlenose dolphins. The rest of the family can swim, sail, fish, play golf, tennis and everything else that they like to do, while I sit in the sun with a book. Bliss!

A book I’ve been meaning to read for ages: Love & The Goddess by Mary Elizabeth Coen

I’d already spotted this and admired the cover, but it was the feature on A Woman’s Wisdom Blog that made me fly to the buy button on Kindle. Described as one of those Wonderful Feel Good Books, perfect for a lazy weekend or holiday read, and likened to Sex and the City meets Eat, Pray, Love (I loved both), made it irresistible.

Fabulously funny, sad, sensitive – this book is all of those things. Was it the first Anne Tyler that I read, the one that hooked me in? I just love it, and have several paperback copies in case one is loaned or lost. A storyline about a man whose life goes into a tailspin after his son dies and his marriage breaks up doesn’t sound much fun, but the appearance of frizzy-haired dog-trainer Muriel from the Meow-Bow dog clinic, turns everything around. Gorgeous.

A book I could truly escape with: The Republic of Love by Carol Shields

This is a book that I really did escape with on my first ever camping trip with family to the south of France. That first night, I lay on my little cot with flies circling overhead and thought: ‘Help! This is just like Tenko! ’ (TV series about a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.) It’s such a wonderful read – a love-story, yes, but so fresh and sparkling and surprising. Love it. (I have 3 paperback copies of this one, too!)

A book that interests me from a genre I’ve never read: Two Rivers by Zoe Saadia

Although I have actually read quite a lot of historical fiction, Zoe Saadia’s books sound completely different to anything else. Instinct tells me to start at the beginning of the series and I’ve read some wonderful reviews of this particular book, (‘cracking good story,’ ‘writingflows beautifully’). I read a lot of Native American history when researching my first book and just wish I’d had access to Zoe Saadia’s series at that time, with all the information and history packaged in a really entertaining read. (On my Kindle)

Well if like me, you’re a sucker for romance, threaded with history and humour – The 20’s Girl might appeal.

Even before the remake of Gatsby and advent of Downton, there was just something in the air about the 1920s – the music, style and fashion. The story was also inspired by a 1920s newspaper headline: ‘A millionwomen too many! 1920 husband hunt!’ – about that generation of surplus women in England after the First World War, who were left with little hope of love or marriage. They were given advice: ‘If you’re hoping for a husband – be warned. Nice young men have no time for jazzing flappers.’

What a superb destination, June and great choice of books. The only one I’ve read is 20’s Girl, which I loved and own a very special copy of that, however now I know you have a spare ‘loan’ copy of The Accidental Tourist I’ll nip round, oh and The Republic of Love too, put the kettle on,

What I find interesting about these posts (apart from the choices) is that none of us would have met if it hadn’t have been for Twitter. And two of the books (if not more) would never have come to my attention because they are self-published and I wouldn’t find them in Waterstones. Just a thought . . . Back to June (!) great choices and I loved 20s girl, funny, engaging and another fabulous hero. Mary Cohens is in the TBR pile.

I love the sound of Cromarty, June. Great to see your book choices too – I will be adding one or two to my reading pile, that’s for sure! I’ve often heard the Accidental Tourist mentioned, so this is a good reminder. Fab post! 🙂

OH dear – I’m late to the party, but looks like a lot of us will be going to Cromarty – my ideal, that sort of place! Zoe Saadia’s books really bring that era to life, June; she also has a blog on which she writes about the history that inspired them; it was reading that, when I first joined Twitter, that made me start to read her books (I’ve read 5!). And I echo everything Lizzie says!!!

Lovely post, June! Anne Tyler’s one of my very favourite authors. The first book I read of hers was A Patchwork Planet, and I was hooked from then on, but Accidental Tourist was the second and there was no turning back after that.

Interesting choices, June. My sister tells me how good Zoe Saadia is, and I have had read a sample chapter of Mary’s book, which makes me want to read more. I don’t have much time for reading for pleasure any more, but I will make time for these over the summer!

Cromarty sounds wonderful, but are the seas really warm??? I doubt warm enough to tempt me in which might be just as well as after this selection I have another pile of great reads to sit on the beach with. Great choices June and I’ve got yours in my sights too!!

I really enjoyed Love & the Goddess, June. Seeing the names Anne Tyler and Carol Shields has reminded me how I used to borrow their books from our local library. I was a regular visitor for years and years. Since buying a Kindle a couple of years ago my trips to the library have dwindled to zero, although I am reading more books.

I resisted buying a Kindle for ages, June, but eventually succumbed. I still prefer the feel of turning paper pages, but when travelling I find a slim tablet more convenient. I don’t think it’s age per se, I think it’s more to do with the effort involved in adapting to change for those of us who used log tables at school and for whom the pocket calculator was an innovation. 🙂

When you listened to the Shipping Forecast with your granddad bet you never dreamed you’d go to Cromarty, June. Love your selection, Annie Tyler of course, two or three New Romantic Press you mention, I’ve already read, natch. Love and the Goddess by Mary Elizabeth Coen sounds fun, and The Republic of Love if it stops you thinking you’re in Tenko.